Bengal: Kurmis lift rail blockades on fifth day of stir

The agitation at Kotshila station which was started at around 12.30 pm on Sunday has also been withdrawn at 8 pm, the statement said. The Kurmis have been agitating over a string of demands including recognition as a scheduled tribe, recognition of the Sarna religion and inclusion of the Kurmali language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.

The Kurmi community people on Sunday evening withdrew their rail blockades at two places in West Bengal’s Purulia district on the fifth day of their agitation demanding scheduled tribe status, the South Eastern Railway said.

All steps are being taken to restore normal train services.

“The blockade at Kustaur station in Adra Division and Khemasuli station in Kharagpur Division since May 5 has been withdrawn,” the SER said in a statement.

The agitators lifted the blockade at Kustaur and Khemasuli stations at 11.45 am and sometime after 8 pm. “The agitation at Kotshila station which was started at around 12.30 pm on Sunday has also been withdrawn at 8 pm,” the statement said. The blockade at the two railway stations led to cancellation of around 500 express and passenger trains since April 5, causing immense hardship to thousands of passengers. The Kurmis have been agitating over a string of demands including recognition as a scheduled tribe, recognition of the Sarna religion and inclusion of the Kurmali language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.